It is 1:15am and I am coming off a power nap.  Jackie has just fallen asleep.  If patterns hold true Jackie won’t be sleeping for long.  Since I did not have the time to update you on Thursday I thought I would try to get caught up now.

Jackie slept much better Wednesday night and I am hoping it is the start of getting into the normal routine of days and nights.  His accumulated sleep amount overnight is still not where it should be.

We are gradually working up to his  goal nutrition level.  This is beginning to sound like a broken record.  It is such a huge part of Jackie’s recovery and as you  know has been quite a challenge so far.  We had a test done that confirmed his body was moving the nutrition from his stomach to his intestines, so we keep plugging away trying to eliminate any other triggers that inhibit nutritional success.  Jackie continues to lose weight so the nursing staff is using gel bandages to cover boney spots.  Getting bed sores is to be voided at all costs.

With all of that said, Jackie still finds inner strength that surprises us.  During PT on Thursday they laid him flat onto a gravity table.  The table moved at the bottom when a piece of it was taken out.  The PT team had him use his legs to do squats. Jackie was then moved to a more upright position.  After a short time in this position, he was lowered and moved to a high backed therapy wheel chair.  Seat belts are used around the torso and abdomen to try to keep the patient in an upright position.  Never fails, Jackie’s leg movements always end up sending him into a slouching position.  With the help of a couple boosts back up in the chair, he stayed upright for 2.5 hours.  This completely tired him out and he took a well deserved nap once he was back in bed.

ST stopped by once Jackie had woken up.  I was glad they were able to visit as they are short staffed and the demand for their time is high. Even though he was awake, Jackie was still tired from his PT session.  Jackie ate two ice chips, made it through a couple brief neuro checks and then took another short nap.  We still cannot get him to speak using his trach.

The Infectious Disease team was able to pinpoint the specific infection that has caused the set back.  They stopped two of the three antibiotics.  PTL. The reaming antibiotic should knock out the infection, but Jackie will most likely be needing to take it for 6 more weeks.  This is given through an IV site.

The two drains that were inserted into Jackie’s head during surgery were removed on Thursday as well as the bandaging over the incision.  Like his other incisions, exposure to the air will help it heal quickly. The overall swelling on the right side of his head appears to be going down, although his head on that side still looks a little full.  The docs are keeping a close eye on his progress.

Your positive thoughts and prayers are helping Jackie get through this set back.  Thank you for lifting all of us up with your support and love.